Celebrating the Unexpected.

Working with kids is always an adventure, you learn to expect the unexpected. You realize in the end, its the unexpected that you end up longing for.

We expected a lot of fun this summer, and we were also excited at the idea of kids creating meaningful work that would hopefully fuel our campers' love of art. However, when we think back to the camps this summer it was the un-planned moments that made this experience mean so much to us.

Austin Kleon in his TED talk for Steal Like An Artist, explains the fact that if you were to draw 2 lines in parallel and then ask someone how many lines they see, most will say 2. He then goes on to explain the phenomenon of negative space and the realization that 1+1 can equal 3 as the parallel lines create a third in-between. Ken Burns also identifies that this reality can also be found in story, noting that the often elusive "3" is what makes a story really great.

Our "3" came this summer in the small inspirations that snuck their way out from in-between our programming. These tiny moments that you could never plan, but you learned to look for because they made the experience unforgettable. Here are just a few I won't forget...

1. Role-playing TV shows in our retro TV shell.

2. Sitting by the stream, with our feet dangling in the water.

3. Stuffed-animal visitors that kept growing in number, joining us for snacks, and modeling for our sketchbooks.

7. Playing with the paint drippings, so much more fun than actually doing the project.

8. Sidewalk Chalk Taco.

9. Absolute silence at the sight of Aganetha Dyck's collaboration with bees.

10. The tree-drawings that actually worked

It was these experiences we wanted to celebrate in SPROUTS. We wanted our walls to reflect not just the artistry in the work, but the in-betweens that made it worth doing again. Come by and check out the work of our amazing young artists. We hope you see the unexpected.